This invention relates to structural guards, bumpers and the like for vertical columns, preferably columns, having two or more flat surfaces.
Along roads and highways we often see xe2x80x9cguardrailsxe2x80x9d around circular columns supporting xe2x80x9coverpassesxe2x80x9d. These column guardrails are designed to keep the vehicle from squarely impacting the column during a vehicular accident
Similarly in the marinas, column guards are often placed above and below the water to prevent boats from colliding into the supporting columns of a dock. U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,665 shows a device for such column protection.
In modern factories and warehouses small lifts, pallet or skid carrying vehicles are moving around numerous columns. Normally, the columns in such buildings are steel made of an xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d cross-sections. To avoid xe2x80x9ccolumn collisionsxe2x80x9d with these pallet-laden vehicles, small guardrails are often employed at the intersections of the vehicle pathways or isleways. In these areas where vehicles must negotiate a turn, accidents are most likely to occur. Elsewhere in the straight areas of the isleways, no guards are used because collisions are far less common and the guard railing is too bulky and intrusive.
The most relevant prior art patent found during the prior art search is FR-A-2 419 385 of Pierre Lamige which disclosed an annulet for vertical columns. The annulet has an annular ring having a rounded peripheral surface and a radially inner surface.
An interesting problem associated with column collisions in a building is that pedestrian traffic is often involved in the accident. When a forklift laden with a pallet collides with a column, structural damage can occur, however, when a person is unfortunately caught between the columns and a vehicle, serious injury or death may result.
Many times the worker, using a hand truck or lift, can inadvertently pinch his hand between the column and the truck resulting in an injury.
While it is clearly understood that accidents can and do occur, it seems that the best course to avoid such accidents is proper training and safety awareness. Another very valuable accident prevention concept involves risk elimination or risk reduction devices.
The present invention provides a column guard and a method of installation that precludes colliding vehicles from contacting the column directly. This column xe2x80x9cguardxe2x80x9d minimizes pinch points that are common in conventional guardrails and when properly installed in close proximity to the floor, 30 inches (76 cm) or less above the ground preferably at about 1 foot (30 cm), the guard provides a means to absorb collision energy and minimizes column damage.
The column xe2x80x9cguardxe2x80x9d of the present invention is extremely easy to install, takes up minimal space, and is sufficiently low in cost to justify attaching to any column wherein vehicular traffic can occur.
An annulet (20) for vertical columns (100) is disclosed. The annulet (20) has an annular or penannular ring (22) with a rounded peripheral surface (23) and a radially inner surface (21), and a pair of segments (24), each segment (24) being juxtaposed and extending from an opposite side of the annular ring (22) toward the center of the annulet (20) to a channeled end (25). The channeled ends (25) have a channel width and a channel depth. The channel width is equal to or superior to the width of a flat side (102) of the column (100) to which the annulet (20) encircles.
In a preferred embodiment, the annular or penannular ring (22) is formed of two substantially semi-annular portions or ring halves (22A, 22B). Each ring half (22A, 22B) has a vertical oriented inwardly extending column locking tab (30) traversing the radially inner surface (23). The column locking tabs (30), when bolted together secures the annulet (20) about the column (100) to which the annulet (20) encircles by clamping the column between said channeled ends (25) of the segments (24).
The method of providing a column guard (10) on a structural vertical column (100) has the steps of placing an annulet (20) around a column (100), the annulet (20) having two opposing channeled segments (24), positioning each opposing channeled segment (24) to align with a flat portion (102) of the column (100), adjusting the height of the annulet (20) to be less than 30 inches above the floor level to which the column is attached to greater than 6 inches above the floor level, and then securing the annulet (20) to the column (100).
The steps of securing the annulet (20) to the column includes tensioning the annular or penannular ring (22) of the annulet (20) to secure the annulet (20) to the column.
The steps of placing an annulet (20) around a column (100) can include taking two ring halves (22A, 22B), each ring half (22A, 22B) having a channeled segment (24) and attaching them around the column (100) to form the annulet (20).